I just read the Black Snob’s rant about Beyonce. It was great stuff. It put into words why I love Lauryn Hill but find something not quite right about Beyonce. Here is some of it:
It’s not that I don’t think Beyonce has inner drama. Everyone does. Everyone has doubt and failings and pain. My argument is that Beyonce does not want you to know of this drama, any real drama, that is. She’s closely guarded with an even more tightly guarded image. She is more about being the fantasy of what she thinks you want her to be (cue “Sasha Fierce!”) rather than revealing anything of character….
A true artist brings the pain.
I don’t have to convince you that original Fugee’s member, musical genius and lost child, Lauryn Hill has issues. We all know, homegirl has issues. But often, when I wanted to think of a modern song, like Etta James’ classic “I’d Rather Go Blind” or Issac Hayes’ cover of “Walk On By” that makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry, I think of Hill’s “Ex-Factor.”…
Hell, you don’t even have to be a woman to cry during Ex-Factor. Just be from the land of broken toys. Be the neglected. Be the rejected. Once you get to the end where Hill pleads, “you said you’d be there for me” over and over she could be singing Pslams for all I know, wondering where is God and why He abandoned her. That’s how universal, yet specific, her vocal pain is.
And what does Knowles have? “If I Were A Boy?” a song, I HATE WITH EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING. It’s a nice enough song. But it’s not particularly deep or painful. It basically entails that if Knowles were a man all she’d do is drink and hang out with guys without question….
See also:
Abagond 
Comparing Lauryn Hill to Beyonce Knowles is like comparing Zora Neale Hurston to Zane.
Like comparing Hemingway to Jackie Collins.
Like comparing an expensive steak to a 99 cent cheeseburger from McDonalds.
One was a true artist who also had the good looks, good connections and marketability to make her a megastar.
The other is merely product, a result of nepotism and corporate oppurtunism.
Lauryn was the last black (or any race) mainstream female recording artist who mattered. Period.
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Not trying to be funny, but judging by your previous posts, I’m surpised that you like Lauryn over Beyonce. I think Lauryn is beautiful, but she’s quite thin. I would think Beyonce would be your ideal. Maybe you just are speaking musically.
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The comments from the Black Snob and mynameismyname, really hit a nerve with me because for the past decade or more I’ve felt like certain pop, rap, and R&B artists, like Beyonce, are empty, soulless shells that exist as marketing pieces as opposed to true artists, like Lauryn Hill, who weren’t afraid to be authentic and we were all uplifted as a result. I hope the future brings more Lauryn Hills and less Beyonces.
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I would go out on a limb and say almost anyone who makes it big are empty soules shells that exist as a marketing piece.
True artists rarely have the physical appearance our modern media deems necesarry. who cares whether they look good in rinestones and nothing else (britney). Once we started watching music instead of turning down the lights, sitting back and feeling the music through hearing and feeling – certain baratones can hit notes that make my body tremble…the purity and color (a musical term meaning depth and fullness) and feeling of the music is completely lacking in todays music.
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i do prefer lauryn hill over beyonce but i happen to like “If I Were A Boy” because it tells a story about how some guys are when it comes to relationship. the one thing i want to say is why is everyone so negative against beyonce? i’m not saying that no one is hating on her but every time when someone talks about beyonce, it’s negative. is it because she hogs the spotlight and everyone pays attention to her? is it because people look at her as being fake and not so natural? i’m not a fan of beyonce but i think she can sing and her songs do have feeling to them, whether it’s happy or sad. music shouldn’t always have to be sad or about what goes on in life, although there’s nothing wrong with that, but music should be having fun and something you can dance to and feel good about. beyonce can sing without a doubt better than most fake ass pop singers that think they can sing. i do feel that there are good music in today’s generation but people tend to focus on the negative and not so on the positive. alicia keys has talent and has meaning to her music whether it’s happy or sad. she puts her feelings and soul into her music and doesn’t have to change who she is. even mary j blige has put her heart and soul into her music and a lot of women can relate to her. so i can’t say that beyonce doesn’t have any talent because her music is nothing compared to lauryn because both are different and has different tastes in music. music should have a balance and doesn’t have to be the same thing all the time because it gets boring. i think people to stop paying attention to the fake pop singers and start listening to the real singers that’s here in today’s generation.
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Beyonce is an amazing singing talent, but there is something missing and I think the Black Snob has it right: it is the lack of emotion. Not all songs have to be sad or serious, but sometimes they are the only songs you can bear to listen to and that is when you need music the most.
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Beyonce’s music is not exactly deep but I’m not gonna hate on Beyonce, she’s doing her thing. Sometimes black folks love to hate on successful black folks.
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Laromana: It’s “fewer.” As in, “more Lauryn Hills and fewer Beyonces.” The rule: Fewer of those; less of that. In other words, if you can count them, use “fewer.” As in: “Fewer grains of sand,” vs. “Less sand.”
I think it is fair to surmise that Lauryn Hill lost her mind because of intense pressure from the music industry to sell out. Lauryn had to recognize within herself that she was a true artist, yet she found herself in a market niche that eschewes artistry over cheap marketing tricks. The industry demanded of Lauryn that she flaunt her cleavage in sexy posters, move her ass seductively in videos, and lend her voice to producer-driven r&b pabulum. Lauryn’s soul screamed out for more than that, but there was nobody in her ken who could hear that voice and nurture it.
In contrast, Beyonce has embraced the star maker machine with open arms. She has eagerly participated in the process of manufacturing a pop superstar from her bag of modest gifts — photogenic good looks, a modicum of singing talent, the ability to follow instructions from professional choreographer, etc. It should also be noted that Beyonce has always had a strong Svengali male in her life, first via Papa Knowles, then via her husband.
Thus, I agree with Agabond’s post. At the same time, I don’t hate Beyonce for being successful. She appears to be living an unexamined life and yet finding stratospheric popular and financial success, which is what I think offends many. The same could be said about Whitney Houston before her. In both cases, though, the worst they can be accused of is not being true to their individual gifts. How many of us can say that we’re not guilty of the same?
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” the worst they can be accused of is not being true to their individual gifts. ”
Thanks Blanc! now I gotta rewrite my new years resolutions.
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well she may not have a lot of emotions in her songs but i still think she’s talented, even though i’m not a big fan of hers. but like kat says, sometimes people love to hate on beyonce, not all but some. every time someone write about beyonce they have something negative to say and why hate on someone that you don’t even know? to me beyonce has talent way more than rihanna, britney spears and other fake singers that think they’re talented but people pay attention more to the fake ones than the real ones that CAN SING.
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Its simply the difference between art and Pop. Lauryn is a musician to the core while Beyonce is a product based around a musical talent.
I cannot see Beyonce without hearing echos of that old Destiny’s Child song telling girls not to go outside without your clothes on… hmmmm, what happened to that?
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I look at beyonce sometimes and wonder if she is being her true self. I don’t really think she is honestly, society has shaped her into this woman I sometimes mistake for white. For all we know her true self could be something that resembles Lauryn. Looks like we’ll never find that out though…maybe she wants to fit into White America that badly 😦
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There is a reason people hate Beyonce like they do, but I cannot put my finger on why it is. It is not simply envy.
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Oh, there’s many reasons not to like Knowles. Many. A lot of it has to do with her family. His dad is something else.
Also, everyone has a different take on music, but anyone who’s a music enthausist would take issue with the idea of Knowles being an “amazing vocal talent”. LOL. The tramp uses harmonizers and pitching after-effects to enchance her vocals. She can hold a tune, but a true vocalist she’s not. To compare her to Etta James or even, a contemporay like Christina Aguilera is a bit of a diss to both ladies.
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Knowles’ lack of personality and awkwardness as well as her inane, unmusical material are also two of the many reasons why many aren’t too crazy about her.
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I did not know about the harmonizers and pitching after-effects that Beyonce uses.
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abagond – I believe they are the computerized effects employed to make every wanna be disney tv show actress a “singing” star. They can pull her note slightly up or down, fix the pitch and make a so-so singer sound great. I liked beyounce above as this was her singing live without all the computerized fixes. There are other device they can employee that can harmonzie or sythize the sound of their voice while singing live. I believe Cher uses them to disguse how age as affected her vocie. Its that synthy sound you hear with her voice.
Billie Walker – what do you mean “somtimes mistake her for white”
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Blanc2,
Thanks for the UNSOLICITED, PATRONIZING, GRAMMATICAL LESSON. I’ll remember it when it’s truly RELEVANT (ie. not on a message board like this one). Since we agree, you obviously understood my main point.
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Wow! This is a good conversation.
Beyonce does have a decent voice, but she’s trashing her talent by singing throw-away lyrics (she has a few songs with depth, but overall she puts out pablum). A song doesn’t need to be sad to be good. Many great tunes are upbeat. I don’t think anyone will be going back to listen to Beyonce in ten years.
That’s the difference between a Beyonce type & a Lauren Hill type musician.
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Hell, Lauryn had a few uptempo, playful moments on “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”. But they were actually adequately produced and obviously came from an organic place.
Knowles, on the other hand, needs an army of songwriters and producers (as well as top knotch engineers) to come up with un-melodic, beat-driven, inanely written ditties about nothing.
I mean Knowles is the woman behind such sophisticated gems as “Bootylicious”, “Suga Momma” and “Bug A Boo”!
Please. Knowles is, who she always was, a spoiled, vapid, half-talented, inarticulate high-class chickenhead with a tore-up weave who had a driven and controlling stage daddy and some strong industry ties. Nothing more, nothing less.
I’m glad the world (the few people who actually care) are finally waking up and seeing it for what it always was.
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I happen to think Beyonce is very talented & driven. She is a very inspiring artiste and person. That being said Lauryn Hill’s music captivates emotion and style like no other, you can listen to a Lauryn hill song over and over for years.
Lauryn sings (and raps) like no other, her lyrics are brilliant, she doesn’t over sing (like beyonce), she isn’t forever reaching for high notes (like 90% of the female r&b world). Her sound is smooth and in control, warm and hypnotic.
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I have never been a DC child or Beyonce fan. The first time I saw DC, i thought they were like twenty somethings the way they were half dressed. I almost choked when i found out that Beyonce’s mother made all those tacky rags. To me it was like they were trying to be too womanish at such a young age. that’s called exploitation.
When the two members were put out of DC, and I say Beyonce doing an interview with croc tears talking about how it wasn’t just business, these girls were my sisters and I loved them, then in another interview when DC was down to three, she told the interviewer that “all of the bad seeds are out of Destiny’s child”
Beyonce’s music is meaningless. The only thing she sings about are clubs, and how every man wants her body. That whole video for single ladies kills me, especially at the end when she’s showing her ring. It just smacked of her arrogance. You can tell that Beyonce’s father has ruined this girl, because her music reflects how she is, thinks, and acts all the time, not just for the cameras. Until she experiences something profound and life shattering, she’ll never be an “artist” only an act.
Karma is a mofo, and it’s coming back around to get all of those knowles…matthew being dumped by kelly (his daughter IMO), Beyonce’s movie flopped, and so did her cd sasha foofoo….has it even sold three million copies yet? This obsessed movie will hopefully put an end to this actress mess. Good actresses pull from a place of experience and hurt. Seems like the more turbulent the life has been, the more convincing the actress is.
her mother is also dirty, using beyonce to sell that crappy clothing line because she knows that without beyonces face, she’d be laughed out of the design business.
What’s so funny, is that Beyonce has been quoted as saying that she wants to be the first woman to have a grammy, oscar, and tony. Jennifer Hudson already has the oscar, she’ll get the grammy, and if she ever decides to do broadway, she’ll have the tony too…beyonce upstaged once again.
I love lauryn hill, and i hope she is getting some help for her problems.
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Damn Durtygirl,
You told the truth!
Beyonce’s record sales have never matched the immense publicity she’s garnered so I’m not surprised that her latest product isn’t a brisk seller.
Hopefully now that Kelly has belately garnered the common sense to drop Matthew Knowles as her manager, she’ll reach the pop heights she’s more than capable of reaching.
Lauryn’s hard to figure out. Is she really ‘crazy’ or does she just want out of the corrupt, soul-sucking music business? It’s hard to tell. The media will always paint someone as crazy if they don’t follow the script. Is this the case? Or is L-Boogie really out to lunch?
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damn dirtygirl! all that for beyonce. personally i can’t say she’s fake and whatnot because i believe she does have talent and she’s an entertainer. so of course she’s gonna show off her body but she does it with class and not looking like a hoe on stage with her ass hanging out. yes some of her songs are pretty much boring but there are other songs that i like from beyonce. when she came out with dangerously in love, that song took her career to the next level in my opinion. although i do feel that kelly rowland has more talent and singing ability than beyonce. plus she’s done well with the albums she’s put out. as for her mom, i though she has made nice for beyonce and when she was in destiny’s child and most of the outfits she did make were not tacky. she is who she is and i could care less with what beyonce do because they are some people that will like her and some will just hate for no reason, which i think it’s a waste of time. but i do prefer lauryn over beyonce any day.
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what’s up with all the smack talk about beyonce? i’m not of fan of her music but i do believe she has talent and if she didn’t she wouldn’t be so famous all the time. beyonce do make music about her body and clubs but she also has made songs that had some meaning to it. yes she is no lauryn hill and never will be, but she’s her own person. no one should have to be the same as everybody else. beyonce is an entertainer so of course she would be showing off her body but she doesn’t go over board compare to other female artists who constantly has no talent but take off their clothes to be famous. i don’t always agree with it but that’s their choice. beyonce is her own person and she makes the music she wants to please herself and no one else. frankly i could care less about her becuase she doesn’t mean a damn thing to me and i don’t anything about her except the fact she’s famous. there will be someone that likes her and some will hate, which is stupid. plus her songs have been doing good, especially when dangerously in love came out and that took her career to another level. although i do feel that kelly has more talent and prettier than beyonce any day.
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whoopie goldberg already beat beyonce in having a grammy, tony and oscar
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Lauryn, i love you. To compare Beyonce with Lauryn is not fair to Beyonce.
I miss the old Lauryn, such feeling, voice and beauty, she is probably the most beautyful girl ever.
Having 5 kids is a fulltime job, i can understand that we don’t see her so much anymore. I am a father myself i think she is doing the right choice to spend her time with the children.
But i miss her!
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Lauren had everything. Stunning beauty, incredible talent, originality, Intelligence, a certain radiance, depth..
Beyonce is a completely manufactured, inorganic , surface skimming, attracive woman with a tremendous amount of ambition and ego..I am afraid she will continue to haunt/torment us with her “Sasha Fierce” alter ego and her dreadful over-acting for a long time to come!
There are so many much more talented women out there..(Jill Scott for example), but for some reason so many just “SEE” Beyonce with their eyes and seem not “HEAR or FEEL” her and dont seem to know the difference or dont care!
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beyonce is a better actress than julia roberts
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I miss Lauryn Hill.
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Me too!
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I’m not going to leave a post saying that Beyonce is spoiled, ignorant or anything like that because quite simply, I don’t know Beyonce or Lauryn Hill for that matter. I will only comment on their music because that is all that I know. Beyonce has a decent voice, but that’s it. She (along with Destiny’s Child) has made a whole bunch of catchy and entertaining tracks, but nothing even close to brilliant or worthy of much artistic praise. It’s not too difficult to make songs that will make people nod their heads…and those types of songs are the highlights of Beyonce’s career. Not to mention the other songs that are just terrible in every way. As an “artist” I find Beyonce as being just above tolerable and almost never worth a second listen. To the masses, she is a product to be sold before an artist to be heard. Now for Lauryn Hill. I absolutley love Lauryn Hill. Musically I see no grounds for a debate between Ms. Hill and Ms. Knowles. Lauryn has a much better voice, plain and simple. She is an instrumentalist and truly a creative and original pioneer to the arts. Her songs have emotional resonance and deal with important social issues and on top of that they sound damn good. She doesn’t need to be marketed to have a large fan base. If Beyonce wasn’t on MTV and hooked up with all of the commercial ties, I doubt anybody would listen to her. Bottom line, Lauryn Hill is a far superior talent to Beyonce Knowles.
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Not to metnion Lauryn can rhyme.
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Bottom line, Lauryn Hill is a far superior talent to Beyonce Knowles.
I agree Beyonce doesnt even come close. And may I add Lauryn Hill is more beautiful than Beyonce too.
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“And may I add Lauryn Hill is more beautiful than Beyonce too.”
Both are gorgeous, but Lauryn has the most beautiful face that I’ve evr seen.
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Both are gorgeous, but Lauryn has the most beautiful face that I’ve evr seen.
Beyonce is pretty (not a fan of loads of fake blonde hair on black women it makes all of us look like idiots) but Lauryn is more natural and has a beautiful smile.
I really miss Lauryn I wish she come back and do more music.
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Both women are naturally pretty. Even without the makeup team, Beyonce is still a natural beauty, but Lauryn Hill has the kind of beauty that is rare….like a rare diamond.
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That was my opinion. To me Lauren Hill is more natural because she doesnt wear a unnatural blonde mess of a wig like Beyonce does. I said nothing about makeup.
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Nothing “natural” about Beyonce.
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Beyonce is generic. Lauren is unique.
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^That too. I was just going to say that Beyonce’s looks are not something rare; I could find women that look similar to her. But Lauryn’s is one-of-a-kind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone with her shape of lips, eyes, face. She captures your eye.
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Only a few black women look good in blonde hair. Beyonce is not one of them.
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Abagond, NOBODY looks good in blonde hair, unless that’s their natural hair colour. I had some horrible experiments with changing my hair colour (and I am light skinned for a white person, but with a natural dark brown hair). But that’s just one thing.
Beyonce is not an ugly woman. You can say she’s pretty. Lauren, on the other hand, is stunning. There’s just something about her. (Just a female opinion here, of course). But it’s not really about it either.
When I said “generic” I meant on generic… image? style?- of Beyonce. Not sure how to define it.
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Abagond, NOBODY looks good in blonde hair, unless that’s their natural hair colour. I had some horrible experiments with changing my hair colour (and I am light skinned for a white person, but with a natural dark brown hair). But that’s just one thing.
This is true. People who are born with blonde hair only look good with it. I had a hairdresser who bullied me into getting “brown” highlights. Everytime I would go she would say that my dark hair was too harsh for my face, dark hair was old fashioned cause no one wears dark hair anymore, Im afraid to try something new. I broke down and agreed on a brown highlights. Brown highlights to her meant blonde chunks. After I seen it I almost had a heart attack. It looked terrible especially against my dark skin. I had to put a jet black rinse over it and all the blonde parts was so damaged it all fell out. That was the end of me going to hairdressers.
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^Leaveum, was the blonde hair the one that you had in the first (?) avatar you had here? If so, I thought it looked nice. I think you are very pretty, and it brought out the copper in your complexion.
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Wow, I guess Ill don my aspestos suit to come in here and say a few words about Beyonce.
Im sure not here to put down Lauryn in any way, she is extremly beautiful , I just thing they are both individual artists who have their own aproaches.
I just dont get the put downs on Beyonce. I really like what she does. I dont like every song, but, I cant take my eyes off her videos. I dont like every song Lauryn puts out also.
Ive seen her come on awards shows and just kick butt, her voice is on point, do they have the voice enhancers on these award shows? They must not be working because I hear a lot of out of tune singers on them.
As far as quality of voice, its all relative, do either of them have the ability of Sarah Vaughn?
Beyonce comes from a dance esthetic also. I love a dance esthetic.That doesnt mean she is the greatest dancer, but, her dance choices are fantastic. I remember a Destinies Child video that they were showing examples of older dances we had all seen on other videos before and it was just really entertaining. If its from a cheoreographer, then fantastic, at least they knew who to get and could follow the direction.
I like Beyonce and Lauryn
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Ill remember Bootylishes for a long long time….
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^I don’t dislike Beyonce and she is fine for people that like music like that. But for me, she does nothing. She has simple dance moves and makes catchy songs. Yeah, and…? I like my R&B to have a little more “soul” and significance.
Lauryn is an artist for the ages, Beyonce is an artist for the moment. Lauryn makes classic songs. She sings, raps, and produces. Beyonce can start being compared to Lauryn when she makes a song with meaning and imagery like “To Zion.”
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I agree with Natasha: in 20 to 40 years, Beyonce’s songs will have, at best, a nostalgic value – they will remind people of when they were young – but many of Lauryn Hill’s songs will hold up much better than that.
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Natasha W
^Leaveum, was the blonde hair the one that you had in the first (?) avatar you had here? If so, I thought it looked nice. I think you are very pretty, and it brought out the copper in your complexion.
Thank you. But It was much lighter than that. When I took that pic I had a meduim brown rinse on top of it which turned it to a golden brown the color it should have been which would have been okay. Plus about a year of new growth toned it down alot.
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I dont know, Abagond, isnt it just personal taste about perspective?
I think some of the grooves and bottom (no pun inteneded) Beyonce has worked with are more important to me than what Lauryn has done.
“Crazy in Love” has a nasty ass cymbal beat on the versce
Some of Destinies Child has some of that innovating Timberland beat that he broke with Missy Eliot that was a great beat in hip hop.He isnt so cutting edge now.
Bootylishes is just a groove you can bank on , in 20 years or 40.
Ill be honest, Im much more taken with Lauryn Hills looks than her actual music, but, Im not a big lyrics fan, never have been. Dylon and the Beatles have no significance for me , their lyrics dont touch me or get to me.Innovating driving beats is what gets my deepest attention and how I define the evolution of an idiom. (like the evolution of the jazz beat, or the evolution of rhtym and blues into james brown funk, into hip hop).
Heck if you want a referance to a marvelous contemporary talent ,that has enormous depth in music and can sing really well, and wears an afro, look no further than Esperanza Spalding.
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Dylon and the Beatles have no significance for me , their lyrics dont touch me or get to me.
Are you talking about Bob Dylan?
Well, true, the man can’t… sing and well… But his lyrics are timeless. At least in my opinion.
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^Well, you live in Brazil. I think Brazilian culture/people in general is more fond of the “booty-shaking” type of music (no offense). My Brazilian friends like artists like Beyonce, but yes, they don’t pay as much attention to lyrics, symbolism, meaning, etc.
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^To B.R.
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Good point Natasha
Sorry , Mira, I just dont get him with lyrics (for sure we can agree about his singing), but, as Natasha pointed out, lyrics is something Im just not a tuned to.
But, in my humble opinion, I think his lyrics were more for the times he was in ,and, mean more for then (even though Im from “then”, but, I was into James Brown and Smokey Robinson, now there is a guy who had lyrics I could relate to , “look closer and maybe you can trace, the tracks of my tears…”
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Well, to me, Dylan was a starting point to modern (rock) music with meaning (as the opposite of modern rock music without a meaning). The fact he wasn’t THE first who made songs about social injustice or the fact his music wasn’t rock doesn’t really matter. He was the one everybody else copied, in a sense. In a way, he created a new world. If Abagond ever makes that post about “how rock became white music” I’d write more about this.
But don’t get me wrong, I understand what you’re saying. To me, rhythm is very important. Just give me the beat and I’m happy. I like to dance, I think I have this rhythm inside me so to speak. Sadly I can’t play any instruments (but I’d definitely choose bass guitar as one of my fav instruments). But I digress. The point is, I understand you. There’s nothing “wrong” with Beyonce- it’s just to me, she looks (and acts?) a bit too generic. Like… Like it’s not her, but always her stage persona. And yes, I know I sound prejudiced and I’m not proud of this.
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Ms. Pussy:
Your comment got thrown to moderation because “pussy’ is a moderated word. It got deleted because your name was used to call another commenter names.
https://abagond.wordpress.com/comment-policy/
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LOL Abagond if that comment was for me you should have let it through. Im a big girl. Must have been some crazed Beyonce fan who got offended.
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LOL no that is not me its a pic of India.Arie one of my favorite singers. The baby pic was me though.
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I found it funny watching “Dream Girls” that Beyonce’s character was so like Beyonce herself – a pop star chosen for her appearance and marketability, rather than a true artist (in the way that Jennifer Hudson’s character was an artist).
I don’t hate on Beyonce, she does her thing well enough. But ultimately it’s the audio equivalent of fast food.
Lauryn Hill is an artist rather than a pop star. I’m a massive soul fan and it saddens me that there are too few such artists around, but moreso that today’s true artists do not get mainstream recognition. Back in the day, guys like Marvin, Stevie, Isaac Hayes, etc could make bold artistic statements and still place high on the pop charts. That is too rare now. Lauryn Hill’s debut album was one of the few in the last 15 years that could do both.
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I agree with what ES said. And I dont hate Beyonce either Im just not a big fan of her music.
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Ha, well, I noticed that baby picture looked pretty, Leaveumthinking…..
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Thank you BR:)
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Thanks BR 🙂 (You get brownie points for actually spelling my name right!)
ER,
I agree–what kind of cognitive dissonance did B have to experience to basically put her life story onscreen? When Curtis (Jamie Foxx’s character) said he chose her because her voice was so bland he could make it sound however he wanted, my eyes almost bugged out. (I think B can sing, but she is definitely a malleable performer.)
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@ Jasmin,
perhaps B has little sense for irony. But you never know. To play a character who his clearly less talented than her band-mate and who succeeds mostly for non-artistic reasons, requires guts. Maybe B was actually being smart and self-aware about it, who knows?
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ES,
Oh my goodness, if that were the case–2 snaps up!
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Well, it’s cool that you don’t care for Beyonce. I am a HUGE Bey fan as well as an Lauryn fan. Just so you know, Lauryn paved the way for Beyonce to do what she does. As a Blogger wrote, Musically, Beyonce’s best work takes the Hip Hop-meets-60’s soul sound pioneered by Lauryn Hill, and makes it danceable, club-ready, and pop-oriented. Listen to “Crazy in Love,” Beyonce’s crowning achievement musically, and you hear many of the same retro-influenced elements present in Hill’s “Do Wop (That Thing);” particularly the raw, live instrumentation, and those insistent, Motown-inspired horns that anchor the song. (http://www.blackyouthproject.com/blog/2010/02/no-passengers-on-her-plane-beyonce/)
So even though you may not like her music, just know L-Boogie is a big reason for why Bey does what she does. And BTW, I agree that L-Boogie is a genius. Great vocal arrangements, great harmonies, great lyricist. Special as an MC. In fact, Mystery of Iniquity is the best verse I ever heard from a Femcee. You preach to the choir on L-Boogie. But…with that said, Bey makes great music too and is a genius at what she does. Her harmonies are crazy, she has a great voice, a great era for melodies and arrangements and is outstanding especially on uptempo songs. She’s not a Neo-Soul artist(those genre of artists respect and L is not Neo-Soul, she’s Hip Hop), but she don’t have to be. She’s not them. She’s Beyonce and it works for her.
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I’m really shocked to hear all these comments about TWO BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMEN from a culture who say they are not accepted. How can another culture accept you when you don’t accept yourselves. I’m a beautiful black woman and I accept MY PEOPLE and I’m not going to judge neither one of them because I;m PROUD of them! One thing I want you all to look at, Lauryn Hill is a singer and BEYONCE is an ENTERTAINER she’s a TRIPLE THREAT,she does it all,sing,dance and acting so when your doing all of this you are truly entertaining the people, and no you are not the true person,that’s the magic of being an entertainer! Who are we to judge? We are all human beings,going through life trying to make in this judgemental society,STOP judging and EMBRACE these TWO BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMEN FOR BEING WHAT EVER GOD HAVE BLESSED THEM TO BE! HOW CAN WE LOVE OURSELVES WHEN WE PUT OURSELVES DOWN! A WORD FROM THE WISE! LOVE YOURSELF AND YOUR PEOPLES! When you start judging,you shall be judged!
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Whats not to hate about Beyonce she has everything? She has a man thats loves her, a family that supports her, a beautiful daughter, raw and real talent, a beautiful soul and voice…and she is just plain ole beautiful in the face, period. So I understand the hate towards Beyonce. She has everything. Comparing Lauryn to Beyonce morally Beyonce is 100 times better. Beyonce dated first, married and than had a baby. Lauryn is over 40 and just had another baby and unmarried. Lauryn live performances are on the level of Rihanna now. And Lauryn live vocal abilities are similar to Whitney’s today. Just horrible. Yet Beyonce was 5 months preggo and was still a solid live and great performer and singer. She is just an experience live. And if you haven’t had the chance to see her perform live…check Beyonce out please. She is for sure a beautiful black woman and musical genius.
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dude, i love lauryn hill too
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I like both Beyoncé and Lauren Hill however I prefer Beyoncé. I don’t know why.
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Miseducation was a great record still sounds fresh in 2013.
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I miss the old Lauren Hill of the Miseducation of Lauren Hill days. That record was a record of substance.And she had killer rhymes. Beyoncé is a great entertainer I watched a concert on cable and I honestly have to say I was entertained. Both ladies are talented.
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i like lauryn hill more because she is more open than beyonce.Beyonce has changed from her destiny child days.Lauryn to me is a great artist and i love how she spoke out about the evil music industry.Beyonce has a better family life though she’s married,lauryn had kids with that rohan marley i think and he left her. Some ppl think she’s crazy but i think she is just trying to get away from all the craziness around her.
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Now that Lemonade is out and Beyonce has stopped diluting her blackness to make it comfortable for white audiences, you must remark on it because Bey is taking a step. And considering her fame in comparison to Lauryn Hill her statements tend to have more of a bang.
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I’m coming to this extremely late, and maybe no one will read this, but if by some miracle you are reading this, then here’s my 2 cents (not that you asked for it) Throughout cultures there have been different kinds of music for different things. There was never just one type of music to feel all emotions. Some music was to feel sad, happy, angry, horny, helpless, lost, blue, jealous, etc. And I think our marketplace really expresses that. We need both Lauryn Hills and Beyonces. The Lauryn Hill to help us express pain, anguish, maybe even a bit of anger, and truth. And the Beyoncé helps us feel (dare I say it) fierce, strong, happy, horny, etc. They both have their place, and its never in the same spot.
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